Empathy
by Confession68
Summary: When one cannot rely on verbal language or even their surroundings to communicate, then the only real way to communicate… is through one's emotions.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **So, this idea came to me because of some great music I found. The band is called Hammock. It's all ambience music, with only a few songs with actual singing, and the music itself and all the songs are 13 hours worth of breathtaking beauty. This is exactly how I want this fic to be… I want it to be breathtaking… I really hope you guys enjoy this. I'm super excited about it. :)

**Empathy**

**Chapter 1**

It started as a small vibration and the glass all throughout the house began to clatter. Slowly, the vibrations began to escalate; shaking the entire house and soon everything began raining down off the shelves and tables. Glass shattered all across the floors, and soon, it became too dangerous to be inside the house.

Luffy grunted as he quickly made his way out, leaping over the shattered glass as best he could and tumbling out the front door into the snow, all while avoiding things which tried to fall onto his head.

Turning back towards his house, he gasped as his eyes widened, and they focused not on the house, but instead on the dark, night sky. Slowly he stood, marveling with awe and shock at the beauty of what he was seeing. Surely it could not be possible, for he was not far enough north to be able to witness such beauty, even if it _was_ cold with the deep snow atop the ground. His eyes darted about, trying his hardest to take it all in; to etch it into his memory - the brilliant colors of the massive aurora.

What was happening?

He had to wonder if anyone else could see this, considering he lived quite a bit a ways from others and away from the small city. He took steps back over the snow, so that his house was not obstructing his view of such splendor. What was causing this? He turned in slow circles as he moved further and further away from his house, but then he paused as soon as he was facing the woods down the hill. There seemed to be a source from where the brilliant colors were coming from. He watched as the rays slowly spiraled upward from the ground.

One foot after the other, he took each step before he broke into a clumsy run towards the source, deeper into the thick woods. The brilliant lights filled the area, the snow making it so much brighter as the light was reflected off from it, but amongst it all, atop the bright white snow, lie a figure. His eyes once again opened wider as they slowly scanned the figure.

He carefully approached it, and his jaw dropped. The beauty of her matched the brilliance of the lights surrounding her perfectly. He had not seen anyone like her, and it did not take a genius to know… she was not of his world. Her soft, light peach and flawless skin, long, pointed ears and the little speckles of light, across her forehead and strange white, vaguely translucent gown, were telltale signs.

Looking over her long, wavy hair spread out about her, now that he was closer, he could see it was a bright, beautiful orange. Kneeling down beside her, he leaned in closer to get a better look at the specks of light on her forehead. They glowed so bright and looked like … yes… they looked like bright stars still visible over a sunrise sky, and her hair, like the vibrant, orange sun.

She was such a beautiful creature…

Where did she even come from? How did she get there? Was she supposed to come there? Why was she there? So many questions were popping into his mind all at once, but he knew he most likely might never even get any of the answers to those questions.

Blinking his eyes, he lifted his head, noting that the strange, bright and colorful lights were slowly beginning to fade. Where had those lights come from to begin with? Considering they had been spread out all across the sky, and that they had come from the ground, extending all the way up there, there was no way he was the only one to have seen it.

Gasping, he lifted his head and looked towards road which headed out towards the city. They would come. He knew they would come to investigate the strange, colorful lights.

If they found her like this…

He scooped her up securely within his arms, and without a second thought, ran as quickly as he could back home. There was no way she would be alright if someone else were to find her. Who knew what would happen to her?

Considering his moving her and running with her had not woken her up, he knew she was not in good shape, and this had him worried. As a matter of fact, he still was not even sure she was alive. He would find out as soon as he got home.

As soon as he ran through the still open door, he quickly slammed it closed, trying his best to lock it, and then took her straight to his room. He gently laid her down over his bed and covered her up. Pressing his fingers to her soft neck, he had to wonder if she would even have a heartbeat. Did she even have a heart? However, the soft thumping against the tips of his fingers made him release his pent of breath. He supposed she did then, and it seemed to be beating even far calmer than his was at the moment. He then knelt down beside the bed and watched as her chest slowly rose and fell. She was breathing just fine, too.

Looking up to her forehead, he bit into his lip as a soft glow from the speckles of light lit up dimly within the dark room. How strange… He got up to grab a bandana to tie around over her forehead and turned her onto her side with her back to the door, pulling the blankets almost over her whole head. He knew they would come to his home, considering he had left his tracks all over the snow.

He had to keep her safe… He had to keep her hidden…

Taking in a slow, deep breath, he turned to head out into his hallway and looked about at the disaster the strange quake had brought. It all slowly began to sink in as he turned to look back into the room at the beautiful woman on his bed.

What the hell was happening, and what the hell was he supposed to do now?

**To Be Continued…**

**Author's Ending Note:** So, I hope you guys enjoyed this first chapter. I enjoyed writing it so much! I'm really looking forward to writing more! :D I hope with all my heart that I can continue writing it. I refuse to give up, and I refuse to allow my depression and laziness to keep me from doing what I love. I know I said I wanted to rewrite _Possession_, but I'm not sure if I can. I guess I will have to see. I think it will help me to write this new fic, especially since I've not been this excited about a fic… I think in ever. O.o Though, just as a warning, it might take me a while to come out with more chapters, because I would like to write a few chapters at a time before posting another. I just wanted to get the first chapter out, just to see what you guys think. :) Anyways, I hope you continue to enjoy this one with me. Thanks guys, and please stay tuned for the next chapter. ;)


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: **I know, it's been a while again. You guys have no idea how deep of a funk I have found myself in. I know I said I've been going through a lot, but you guys really have no idea. Not sure I've ever been so stressed and depressed. Thing is, I have chronic illnesses, two major ones to be exaxt, and they tend to bring me down into all kinds of lows. I can't even bring myself to do the things I love most, most days. I know that one day I will be able to overcome them. At any rate, I find myself at peace as of late, and even though I'm working on my own original work, I was in the mood to write this again. Now, no promises I'll come out with another chapter any time soon, but I can try. Enjoy. :)

**Empathy**

**Chapter 2**

Luffy opened his front door only a crack and peered out through it. "Can I help you?" he muttered to the two individuals standing on the other side.

"We're sorry to bother you," a pretty woman with dark hair said as she smiled at him.

"We need to ask you a few questions," the green haired man beside her said as he removed his government badge to show him. "I'm Agent Zoro, and this is Robin."

Luffy shifted his eyes to the badge, but the green haired man closed it up and placed it back within his coat pocket before he could even get a look at it. With a slight frown, Luffy opened up the door more and stepped into the threshold. "It's nice to meet you both. I'm Luffy. What do you want to know?"

"We noticed some tracks leading from and to your house. There was a strange occurrence which took place two hours ago. Did you notice anything strange?" the green haired man asked in a no nonsense voice.

"Other than the aurora? No, not really. Looked like it was coming out of the ground, so I went to check it out, but didn't see anything," Luffy replied as he scratched his head. Both individuals eyed him in scrutiny, and he tried his best not to appear nervous.

"Is that so?" Zoro asked as he narrowed his eyes. "You saw a strange light come from the ground, and you didn't think to take caution and _not_ approach the strange occurrence?"

"Uh," Luffy said and then shrugged his shoulders, "I guess not?"

The green haired man turned and leaned in to mutter to the woman beside him, "Not too bright…"

Robin smiled at Luffy and said, "It must have been a beautiful sight up close."

Luffy grinned back at her and said, "Yeah, it was! I never thought I'd get to see an aurora up close! I'm just sorry the missus didn't get to see it too! You know what caused it?"

"Not as of yet," Robin replied, "We're still investigating. There is one more thing."

"Yeah?" Luffy asked as he twerked his lips up a bit as his brows furrowed.

"There was a crater within the snow where footprints led up to – most likely yours – and the return prints were much heavier than the ones approaching it," she said, smiling knowingly.

"Were they?" Luffy asked, becoming just a bit nervous.

"You said missus, so are you not alone here?" Zoro asked, still gazing at him through narrowed eyes.

"Uh, right… the old lady is sleeping. She hasn't been feeling well. The quake scared her, but I told her to stay in bed. She went back to sleep," Luffy said, thumbing behind him.

"Mind if we speak to her?" Zoro asked as he lifted a brow.

"Actually, yes," Luffy said and glanced behind him. "Lots of glass broke during the quake. Been trying to clean it all up, and she's really unwell."

"We don't mind a bit of glass," Zoro said, narrowing his eyes further.

"Uh, right, but… I really don't want to wake her," Luffy said as he began to fidget, speaking all in a rush. "She had a really high fever, and you should have heard her coughing. It was like listening to deer during mating season."

"We'd still like to see her, if we can," Zoro insisted as he glanced within the house.

"Right, look, I'm not wakin' her. So, I'll let you in our room to see her, but you can't wake her," Luffy said, not hiding one bit his displeasure of his insistence. He then turned and just headed in, expecting them to follow.

Both entered into the home, Robin closing the door behind them, and followed Luffy deeper into the house. She looked about at the tiny, unkept house. It seemed it had been in need of cleaning long before the earthquake. It seemed years' worth of dust coated the furniture as well as the hard wood floors. Clutter was strewn about as well as clothing. Either his wife was chronically unwell, or something was definitely amiss. Perhaps they were just messy individuals.

Luffy came to his bedroom door and opened it without making a sound. He stepped aside for them to peer within to see the body lying within the bed with their back to the door. He then turned his frown upon them, as if silently asking if they were satisfied.

Robin stepped within the room with quiet steps to approach the bed, causing Luffy to grasp the doorknob with a tighter grip. His entire body tensed in preparation to spring into action, though what action he would take, he was unsure.

Looking over the slender woman, Robin was surprised at the vibrant colored locks as well as the bit of the beautiful face she could see within the dim room. Considering the woman had not stirred, just from their presence, she could tell she really was unwell, just as he had said.

Turning back around, she approached Zoro and whispered, "It seems she is unwell. We should go."

Appearing dissatisfied, Zoro just nodded and headed back towards the front again with her. With a huff at the two of them, Luffy closed up the door and followed them to the front without a word.

"We may have more questions for you in the future, and at some point, we would like to speak to your wife," Zoro said, turning to face him.

"What for? Like I said, she didn't see anything, and all I saw was the weird light. I told her to stay here in bed. I'd really rather you didn't bother us again, especially with you being so damn pushy and rude! My wife can't handle this kind of stress in her condition! Please leave," Luffy said as he opened up the door in anger, expecting them to leave.

"Of course, we apologize for our impoliteness," Robin said, nodding her head at him before heading out with Zoro behind her with a snort on his way passed Luffy.

Luffy watched them get into their vehicle before shutting the door. He slumped up against it and expelled a harsh and relieved breath. What the hell would he have done had they been more insistent to actually speak to her? He had no idea if she could even speak their language!

Opening his eyes again, he rolled along the door to press his back into it and stared down the dim hallway. He then glanced about at his mess of a house and decided, he had better clean it up if he was to play host to this strange creature.

**Author's Note:** It's been a while for me, and I know this is probably some messy writing, but despite being in the mood to write, I am really tired! XD Just spent hours driving, because I'm living out in the country with my folks, and I had to drop my husband off in the city at the airport. It was an hour and a half drive, but it was longer on the way back, thanks to traffic hour! Anyway, I hope you guys still enjoyed this mess. :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: **I had a horrible night the night before, having to stay up until 2:30 am with my poor husband, who was having all kinds of trouble with the car rental place he was trying to rent a car from! DX However, today was quite eventful, seeing as I managed to write another chapter, but also because I watched Strong World and Film Z with my dad. :) It was fun! Anyways, here's another chapter for you guys! Enjoy! :D

**Empathy**

**Chapter 3**

Luffy quietly peered into the room with the sleeping alien, creature, woman… thing and felt his stomach drop. It had been two days already since she had appeared, and still she had yet to awaken. He was becoming very worried. Was this normal? It sure did not seem like it.

He knew she needed a doctor or someone knowledgeable about medical treatment, but he was not even sure they could help her. After all, her biology was most likely different. He also had no idea if she even needed to eat, and he also had no idea if she could even eat their food. Was the air she was breathing even good for her? Was she dying? Even if she was, he had no way at all to save her, and this frustrated him.

Groaning to himself, he rumpled his hair before stepping inside to stand beside her. Reaching out, he pressed gentle fingers to her neck to make sure the thumping was still doing what he thought it should, which it was. The light filtering in from the blinds also revealed she was still breathing as well.

He was nervous about her finally waking up, however. What was he supposed to do when she did? What was he supposed to say to her? Would it be useless? She would probably have no idea what he was even saying.

Reaching out to her, he lifted the bandana from her forehead just a bit and blinked as the light from the stars in her forehead lit up the room. Was it just him, or were they much brighter than the day he had found her? Was that a good thing or a bad thing?

Pulling it back down to drown out the light, he then turned and headed out. Glancing over his shoulder one last time, he heaved a sigh before going back into his living room. The tiny house had much more color after he had removed the dust covering the colorful items within his home and swept up every inch of his floors, showing the color of the beautiful wood much better. He had even washed all of his clothes and put them away in their proper place. He had tidied everything up, making it look much neater, though any bit of decorative flare it might have had shattered the day of the earthquake. He would have to make it look homier again at some point. His grandpa would be disappointed it had all broken.

Groaning once again, he rubbed over his forehead as he wondered what he was supposed to tell his grandfather about the strange alien woman when he returned. Glancing over towards his kitchen, he then just headed over towards it to continue the stew he had been preparing.

After eating two bowls of stew later on in the evening, he went back within the room and sat in a chair beside his bed to watch over his guest. He once again checked to make sure she was breathing and alive before slumping within his chair.

He tried his best to keep vigilant watch over her, but soon the boredom began to overpower him. He found himself nodding off to sleep, but each time his head would snap right back up. Once more, his head lulled forward, and this time the darkness took him.

The darkness, however, did not last. Everywhere there was light for as far as he could see. There was not a shadow in sight, not even his own. Turning and turning in circles, all he could see was the light. It was blinding, but yet, though so plain and white, there was a beauty he could not even comprehend. He did not understand it, but soon, as he continued to stare into the endless light, he began to see the light for what it really was; color, so much color.

Reaching out a hand, he tried to touch the vibrant, brilliant shades; even colors he had never before seen and had no idea even existed. He had never been in as much awe as he was in that moment, not even after seeing that aurora for the first time. It was almost as if he could feel the colors. How did one feel color?

As he extended his hand, his vision focused upon it, and it was in that moment he realized he was glowing. Spreading out his fingers, he turned his hand to gaze at it more closely, and never before had he seen such perfection.

His gaze lowered to his body, seeing that it too was glowing, and he was in his natural state; untainted by the imperfection of clothes. However, the light was so bright, he could barely see his nudity. _He_ was so bright.

Spreading out his arms, he watched as wings of light began to appear behind him in queue with his arms, but then he halted. Ever so slowly, he turned his head in caution as he shifted his once dark eyes, now glowing a much lighter brown, to the side.

There was a presence…

With a gasp, Luffy sat up quickly, but immediately froze at the light which lit up his room and to the strange alien woman sitting up within his bed. He felt his heart jump as he looked into her large eyes which glowed a bright, bright peach.

Just as he had been within his dream, she was glowing ever so bright, and the thought of how beautiful the light and color had been within his dream paled in comparison to the beauty of this woman.

She had removed the bandana which he had tied about her forehead, and he could see the star like speckles glowing even brighter than her skin. They stared back at one another, neither moving nor even blinking.

She was awake.

**To Be Continued…**

**Author's Note: **I just realized I forgot to write **To Be Continued…** on my last chapter. It's just been that long for me, I guess. Well, I remembered for this chapter. :P Yeah, I know, sorry; another short chapter. I always find it easier to write them short. :) I still hope you guys enjoyed it. xD


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: **Alright, so here's the fourth chapter for you guys! :D I always make this so hard on myself, because I never actually plan out these fics before I start writing them. I kind of just make it up as I go. xD I know I'm bound to bite myself in the ass and wish I had done something else, but it'll be too late to change. You know, like how I did with _Possession_… X( Anyway, I'll just keep on going, and hopefully, I'll get it right. xD Enjoy! :D

**Empathy**

**Chapter 4**

Luffy was unsure how long the two of them just stared at each other, and it was clear to him that she was too terrified to move, but what he was unsure of was if she knew that he was just as scared.

So as not to alarm her, he raised up his hands in a gradual ascent with his palms out, but seeing the motion alarmed her anyway. She darted away from him to the other side of the bed, and he took in a breath to the sight of her wings of light which spread out as she moved.

He stood up quickly, still holding out his hands and called out, "Hey, hey, it's alright. I'm not going to hurt you!"

She whirled about to face him as she hid behind the bed, peering back at him with large, fearful eyes. Her eyes darted about, looking for an exit, but the door was behind him. She then began to speak in an unknown language, and his jaw dropped.

Her voice was unlike anything he had ever heard before. It was almost melodic or ethereal, but the strange thing was that it sounded as if she was speaking with two voices in one, like one voice overlaying the other. However, the tone of her voice – voices – made it clear to him that she was in a panic. She was terrified.

"Hey, it's alright. It's alright," he said more quietly, keeping his hands palm out. He took deep breaths and lowered his arms in slow descent. "I'm not going to hurt you."

She continued to breathe deep as she stared back at him, but she stopped speaking. The soft glow of her body and eyes lit up the other half of the room. However, the look on her face made it clear to him that she had no idea what he was saying, especially since she seemed to only spoke in that unknown language.

"I was afraid you wouldn't be able to understand," he replied in the same quiet voice. In a slow motion, he dropped down to his knees, hoping to somehow make her understand he was not a threat.

He watched as her shoulders slowed in their rise and fall, and she seemed less alarmed, now that he was sitting on the floor. She looked back behind her and over the room, but always her eyes darted back to him. What was he supposed to do now?

"I, uh…" he started as he scratched his temple with a single finger, "I have food – though I have no idea if you can eat it, and I know you have no idea what I'm saying…" He heaved a sigh and pointed to his mouth as he opened it. "I aa oo!" He closed his mouth, "Uh, I have food." He then motioned to her in a beckon as he stood up. "Let me show you," he said as he stepped out, still motioning for her to follow him.

Her head leaned to the side, watching him as he stepped out. Once more, she glanced about, but she stood up and with careful steps, she began to make her way to the door. She peered out with a single bright eye at him within the hallway before slipping out to follow him. She now glanced all about this new area before looking at him again.

"Right this way," he said, continuing to make the motion for her to follow. He went into his kitchen then and scooped up a bowl of the still warm stew. Turning to her, he then held the bowl with a spoon out to offer it to her. "It's food. I don't know if you can eat it, but… And I also have some water."

Turning her head to the side, she glanced down at the food he offered to her, but she did not move forward toward him.

"It's food; you eat it," he said, gesturing it more towards her for her to take.

With slow, cautious steps, she made her way towards him and reached out for the bowl. She never once took her eyes off from him as her slender, glowing fingers wrapped around the bowl to take from him. She took steps back from him as she observed the contents of the bowl, even bringing it up to her face to smell it. Her eyes darted back and forth from him to the bowl to make sure he did not come after her, he assumed.

After a while, she smelled it one more good time before examining the spoon. Seeming to pick up how it was to be used, she scooped up some of the stew and brought it to her lips to taste it. She paused for only a moment before sticking the whole spoonful of stew within her mouth to eat it.

Luffy released a breath in relief that she was eating. He then went to also pour her a glass of water to set down beside her as well.

Turning to look at the glass of clear liquid, she seemed to know what this was, as she instantly picked it up to drink half of it.

With a smile, he poured her some more and just watched her eat the stew. Even though she ate with vigor, there was still a grace about how she went about it. She was definitely the most beautiful creature he had ever seen as well as heard.

Once she drank up the last of the stew, she looked back at him, back down into the bowl, and then she handed it back to him with the tiniest smile.

Smiling in return, Luffy stepped forward and took the bowl back from her. "Would you like some more?" he asked as he pointed to the pot of stew. She glanced over towards it as he indicated it, but just looked back towards him. "Right… you have no idea what I'm saying…" he said, but then he just scooped up more and handed it to her.

Stepping forward, she took it from him and began to eat it, making him smile wider. This time when she was finished, she handed it back and turned away to drink the rest of the water. She then set the empty glass where he had placed it for her and glanced about his house. That was enough indication for him that she was done. He put away the rest of the stew while she explored his house.

After he was done, he came out to see her gazing at everything in awe. His lips quirked slightly as he frowned, thinking what she was looking at was nothing compared to the light he had seen, and yet she seemed so fascinated by it. It really was not much to him.

With another sigh, he had to wonder just what he was going to do about her, especially since he had no idea how to communicate with her. At least she was no longer afraid of him. He was glad she, at least, understood that he would not harm her.

But now what?

**To Be Continued…**

**Author's Note: ** Haha, this is going to be a challenge for me. xD No communication at all! I'll figure it out. ;) I hope you guys enjoyed it! XD Thanks for reading and… stay tuned. ;)


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: **It took me a while to write this chapter, and about one third through, I almost quit, because I was so tired. xD I've been having trouble sleeping with my husband not here with me. ;~; I went to bed sometime after 1 am, and then I got woken up by my parents early this morning asking if I wanted to go to The Emporium with them. xD

Then, as soon as we got back, and I got all comfortable and typed out the title and chapter number and whatnot, my mom comes in and invites me to go to the shops in another small town next to this small town. xD I had fun shopping with her, and then we got back and realized, no one took anything out to defrost, so I went with my dad to get some fried chicken! LOL! At any rate, it's been a long day. xD I AM SO SLEEPY! So, I hope you appreciate that I still finished up this chapter for you guys tonight. :P Let me know how much in a review. ;) Enjoy!

**Empathy**

**Chapter 5**

Luffy just stood still while watching the creature woman as she examined the contents and interior of his home, not wanting to startle her. She seemed content that he chose to do so, giving her free reign to look about. He knew she still had to be frightened, and maybe looking about distracted her from having to face the fact that she was in an unknown place with an unknown being.

After a while, she turned her head to peer at him with uncertainty. She shifted her eyes away and then back at him again. She also fiddled with her brightly glowing fingers, all indications that she was nervous.

Giving a gentle sigh, Luffy turned to look towards his television, and moved to grab the remote with careful steps. She backed away from him, but kept her eyes on him to see what he was going to do.

Picking up the remote, he turned on the television, and she gasped, moving away some more as she turned to look at it. Even her gasp sounded like two voices in one. He rather liked the way her voice sounded.

"It's a TV," he said as he pointed to it. "You watch it for entertainment."

Moving a bit closer to it, she looked it over in fascination, even trying to look behind it to see how it worked. Taking steps back, she knelt down in front of it to just watch it.

With a smile, Luffy went to sit down on a chair to watch it along with her. Seeing the motion, she turned to watch him and blinked. She glanced to the sofa and then back towards him.

Smiling back at her, he pointed to the sofa and said, "You can sit there, if you like."

She glanced to the sofa again as he pointed to it, back at him, and then back at the sofa. Standing up, she went to inspect the large thing again, which she had examined earlier. Poking it a few times with her finger, she finally turned to sit on it, bouncing on it a few times before smiling.

Luffy grinned and chuckled at her before looking back at the television. She was really cute! She seemed to glow even brighter whenever she smiled. He was glad she was smiling, at least.

It was going to be extremely difficult with them having no means with which to communicate. She seemed to understand basic gestures, or at least, was smart enough to interpret them, but just how long was he going to be able to use them to communicate with her?

Glancing over at her, he saw that she was sitting at the very edge of the sofa and staring at the television with wide, attentive eyes. She was completely fascinated by it for the moment, but how long would that last? At some point, not being able to understand what was being said or going on would eventually become boring for her. At least, he felt it would to him if their roles were reversed.

Groaning under his breath, so she would not hear him, he rubbed over his head as he looked away from her. What, exactly, had he gotten himself into? Sooner or later, those agents might come looking again, even though he had told them not to return. What was he supposed to do if they did? How would he be able to make her understand that she had to hide, and that he was trying to protect her?

When he looked over at her again, she was now gazing at him with those, avid and attentive eyes that glowed so damn bright. Blinking back at her, he then smiled back at her in nervousness and released a sound that could pass for an awkward laugh at best.

Despite his smile, he watched as her brows began to crease as if concerned or maybe in confusion. He released another awkward laugh as he held up his hands again and said, "It's alright. I'll figure this all out. I promise I'll keep you safe until you can go back to wherever it is you came from."

She just tilted her head at him in confusion, or so he figured as she continued to gaze back at him. He tilted his own head with a slight frown and a grunt, but then he brightened up with a grin. "I know!" he said, startling her slightly as she leaned back, but he just pressed his fingers to his chest and said, "I'm Luffy!"

She blinked back at him blankly as her eyes shifted to his hand pressed into his chest and then back up to his face, but it did not seem at all as if she understood at all that he was introducing himself.

He scrunched up his lips a bit, but then he just smiled with a chuckle and said again, "Luffy; I'm Luffy. My name is Luffy." He motioned his fingers to his chest again and said, "Luffy."

She hummed with her melodic two toned voice and said in almost a whisper, "Luffy."

He nodded his head, motioning to himself again, and said with enthusiasm, "Yes! Luffy!"

A smile began to form over her lips, and he saw that recognition of what he was telling her began to light up her eyes even more than they already were. "Luffy," she said again, and then she motioned to herself with the utmost grace. "Nami," she said with such softness that it sounded as if she was singing.

One side of his lips quirked up into an awkward smile. She was such a beautiful creature. Everything about her left him in awe. Even her name was beautiful. "That's a really pretty name."

She blinked back at him, and strangely enough, her cheeks seemed to glow pink as she brought her fingers to her lips and averted her eyes.

This made him chuckle as he grinned brightly back at her, but in that same moment, he was brought to feel dread as there was a knock at his door. He jumped with a gasp as he whirled about to face his front door.

As if sensing his sudden fear and tension, she frowned back at him, but then glanced towards the sound of the knock. She moved to clutch over the top of the sofa and hid behind it as she tried to see down the hall.

Whipping his head back to look at her, he stood up and went to her. "Nami, come quick!" he whispered as he reached out to grasp her hand.

She gasped and looked up at him, pulling back away from in on instinct. She again spoke in her own language as she became fearful.

"It's okay – It's okay! Nami, you gotta trust me! You have to hide!" he whispered as he gave her arm a tug, just to urge her to stand.

She whispered in her own language, but she stood up and followed him as he tugged her along back to his room.

He really wished he could understand her…

When the knock came again, Luffy gasped and turned to look, but then just continued on with quicker steps. He led her into his room and whispered, "Nami, you gotta stay here!"

However, he looked all about his room and went to his closet. He opened up the door and pointed inside. "You have to go inside!" he whispered to her.

She looked inside the closet, back at him, and then into the closet, but she in no way looked as if she was about to go inside.

"Nami, you have to!" he whispered, becoming frantic. He jumped again when the knock came much louder. He did not want them coming inside his home!

She groaned in a soft tone, but she finally looked back into the closet before making her way inside. Luffy shut the door, hearing her say something from inside, but he made his way to the front door to answer it.

He peered out through the crack and frowned to the two standing there. "I thought I told you both not to bother us again," he said in a way that voiced his displeasure.

"You did, but we already told you we'd need to speak to you again at some point," Agent Zoro said, narrowing his eyes at Luffy. "And we'd really appreciate it if we could speak to your old lady."

"Hey! Only I can call her my old lady!" Luffy said with an unhappy purse to his lips as he pointed at Zoro.

"Right, right," Zoro said and just smirked back at him.

Robin smiled her kind smile, which quite frankly, unnerved Luffy, and said, "We would greatly appreciate your cooperation."

"Yeah, I'm sure you would," Luffy replied in irritation. They both annoyed him! "I already told you both she's unwell! I don't want you bothering her!"

However, Luffy lost his frown as he noticed the two's attention was directed elsewhere simultaneously. He whirled about as well, but he did not see anything, and in the same instant, his heart began to pound. What had they seen? He turned back to them, feeling as his palms turned clammy. He opened and closed them in an attempt to dry them. "Look, just leave!"

"No can do. It would seem she's up and about. I saw a light just now, even if it was brief. Hello!" Zoro called into the house behind him. "We'd like to ask you some questions, ma'am!"

"No! Leave her alone!" Luffy called in a more panicked voice than he had intended and he held out his hands to block him.

"Leave her alone?" Zoro said, beginning to narrow his eyes again.

Luffy knew he was blowing it. He could see the suspicion in both of their eyes. He had to do something to protect her! "Look, whatever she has can be contagious! I wouldn't want you to get sick!"

"Contagious? Would that not make you contagious as well? It would seem we're already contaminated. May we speak to her, please?" Robin replied in that calm way that made Luffy want to scream at her.

"No you cannot!" Luffy replied, acting upon his impulse to do so and becoming more and more annoyed with their persistence. "Please just leave!"

"I already said we can't do that. We'll get a warrant and be back, and next time, we'll bring back up," Zoro said in his own irritation.

"No!" Luffy cried in even more of a panic. If they brought even more people, she would be in even more danger. Hell, she already was in danger. What was he supposed to do? His mind was racing, but none of the jumbled mess offered him any kind of solution.

Hearing their collective gasps, he froze where he stood, knowing exactly why they had both gasped. He was scared. He was really scared. What would they do to her?

It was written all over their faces with their dropped jaws and wide opened eyes that Nami was standing behind him…

**To Be Continued…**

**Author's Note:** Ruh Roh! What are they going to do!? What is Luffy going to do!? And why did Nami let them see her!? D: So many questions… but as of yet no answers… xD Wouldn't it be cruel if I stopped writing for a while again? HAHAHA! I won't do that to you, promise. xD Stay tuned for the next chapter!


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: **Haha, I ended up writing this right after finishing and posting the last chapter. xD I was really into it, so I just continued with it. XD I was really sleepy after I finished it and went straight to bed! XD Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy. ;)

**Empathy**

**Chapter 6**

When he heard her speaking in quite the angered tone, Luffy felt his heart dropping. He whirled about to face her and cried, "What are you doing? I told you to hide!" He turned back to them and said, "You can't take her! She's scared, okay? Just leave her alone! Who knows what – what they'd do to her!"

"You son of a bitch," Zoro whispered as he snatched up his side arm and aimed it at them.

"No, don't!" Luffy cried as he blocked Nami to stand in the weapon's path and held his arms out.

Nami again cried out angered words as she moved forward with such swiftness, it was barely seen. Her graceful body dipped down under Luffy's arm, and instead, she used her body to block him. At the same time, her wings of light spread out like a shield to protect him. She screamed the same words at the two with a scowl.

"Nami, no! Don't!" Luffy cried, feeling very real terror that the agent would actually shoot her in his own fear of her. He wrapped an arm about her waist and turned his body to take the bullet, if there was one.

Both Zoro and Robin gasped as they stumbled back away from the creature, but the green haired man kept his trigger finger in check.

Nami peered out under Luffy's arm to scream her angry words at the two again, but this time, she held her hand out to them, and in the next instant, the two disappeared.

Luffy could only gape at where the two used to be standing. "H-Holy shit… Holy shit!" he whispered and then looked down at her.

She was breathing deeply with her arm still extended, but she lowered it gradually and looked up at him. She spoke up at him in a soft voice, and somehow, he understood that she was asking him if he was okay.

"I'm okay," he whispered with a nod. However, he looked back out again and whispered, "Please tell me you didn't kill them…"

She looked out as well and whispered something to him. He had no idea if she was confirming or not. Not that she could understand him to actually answer him, anyway. After a while, he whispered, "We have to leave. We have to leave right now." He ushered her more inside and slammed the door shut with his foot.

He went to the hall closet to grab a backpack and then went into his room to begin stuffing it with clothes and necessities. He also grabbed another pair of pants and a shirt which he had outgrown some time back as well as an old pair of shoes.

Nami followed after him and peered in at him from the doorway, whispering to him again, but seeing as he could not understand her, he did not worry about it. Once he was done, he again turned and headed out past her towards the kitchen. She followed after him again, but this time in silence, and he knew she had to be scared. He was scared too.

He packed up whatever foods which were easy to pack and other things he might need before closing up his backpack. Turning to her, he said, "Come on, we have to leave." He clasped her hand and headed back to the hallway closet once again. "You need to wear something to hide all of your light," he said, grabbing a hooded sweater. He then handed to her the other clothes he had grabbed. "Put these on."

She stared at the things he had shoved into her chest and arms, and then looked up at him in clear confusion. She had no idea why he had handed them to her.

Luffy sighed in frustration to the language barrier. How was he supposed to explain to her what he needed of her when they needed to hurry? He then just pulled at his own clothes which he wore and said, "You need to put them on, like how I'm wearing these clothes. You're too bright." He then grasped one of her arms as her other hugged the clothes to her. He lined up her arm alongside his and pointed to them. "Look, see how different we are? You're too bright. You stand out too much. People will see you and know you're different."

Nami gazed down at their different arms, and then down at the clothing he handed to her. She once again looked back at her arm and released a sigh. Looking up at him again, it was clear she was still confused, and he nearly growled in frustration. They needed to leave as quickly as possible.

"Please don't get offended," he muttered as he took the clothes back and just pulled the shirt on over her head. He then took the pants and lifted her leg, being as gentle as he could to put them onto her. He then stuffed her strange garment within the pants to hide it. It made it possible for the pants to even fit her with how thin she was.

Seeming to understand, she cooperated as much as she could as he dressed her, and when it came to the shoes, he sat her down to put them onto her small feet. He knew the shoes might be too big, but it was all he had. He then pulled the sweater onto her and pulled the hoody over her beautiful, orange hair.

She gave a gentle hum as she looked up at him in concern for his tension and aggravation, and again looked down at his arm. She held out her glowing hands to look at them and looked even more concerned. She closed her eyes and Luffy watched in amazement as her skin began to dim, until it was no longer glowing at all. However, the stars over her forehead continued to shine.

"That's amazing, Nami," Luffy whispered in awe, but then he looked about before heading to the hall closet again. Removing a different bandana, he went back to her and pointed to her forehead. "We have to hide those too," he said, pushing back the hoody to tie the bandana over her forehead, and then he pulled the hoody back into place. "That's good. Come on, we need to get out of here," he said, taking her hand again and leading her to the back door.

He shoved it open, looked about, and then began walking with her towards a garage. He hit a button on a device attached to his keys to open it and went inside. There were two vehicles inside, a beat up truck, and a much nicer one, both facing outward. He headed for the much nicer one and muttered, "My grandpa is going to kill me." He opened up the passenger door and helped her inside before going around to the driver's side.

Starting it up with a nice roar, he then hit the gas and peeled out as he headed down the driveway at a fast speed, hitting the button on a device attached to the visor to once again close the garage. He looked towards the front of the house where the agent's car was before facing forward again. They needed to get as far away as possible before someone came looking.

**To Be Continued…**

**Author's Note: **Hmm, I wonder what's in store for the two now. X3 (Totally has no idea yet…) I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I loved it! XD Hahaha! Anyways, stay tuned for the next chapter. ;)


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: **Alright, so here's the next chapter. I just want to put this out here right here, right now. I write what I damn well please. I do not take requests. Now that we're at an understanding, let me just write, and you guys can read… or not… xD Anyways, enjoy. ;)

**Empathy**

**Chapter 7**

Zoro stalked over the gravel beside the highway, which was empty of motorists at the moment, with a near scowl on his face. However, when he realized he was leaving behind the astronomer assigned to him, he halted and turned to look at her. "This is way beyond you and me now! You understand that, don't you?" he bellowed, deciding to take his frustrations out on her.

They were miles away from where they had been, having been dumped by that creature deep within the woods with no phone signal whatsoever. They had managed to find the highway, but it had taken hours. He was starving, cold, tired, and damn it, he needed to relieve himself, but he was not about to do so with this woman here.

"That son of a bitch was only supposed to be hoarding, what was it you told my bureau? A priceless meteorite, that you said was… what was it again? Unique, and an important scientific discovery! And we just assumed that he was just going to sell it for money or some shit! He was hoarding a fucking alien! And a powerful one at that! That's not just some scientific discovery, damn it!" he yelled back at her. It really pissed him off when she did not at all seem affected by his anger as she approached him with an irritatingly calm demeanor.

"Yes, that was… very surprising. You're right. This is way beyond you and me. However, it is still a very important scientific discovery," she said as she paused before him, looking just as exhausted as he was, but she still managed to hold her grace.

He growled at her nonchalance, even about how that son of a bitch was hoarding a fucking alien! Did she not comprehend that? "We need to get back so I can talk to my superiors," he said and turned to continue on, and she followed. However, after a while, he began to slow in his step before just stopping completely after he spoke those words. Even if he could not see her expression, somehow, he could feel it as if her very eyes staring at his back were burning into his very soul.

He growled again as he grasped at his hair and turned to look at her. She just stared back at him blankly, but it was written all over her demeanor, just as he had thought. If they were to tell anyone about this alien creature, who knew what the hell was going to happen to her.

"Damn it – damn it," he whispered as he ruffled his moss green hair. "What the hell are we supposed to do?" he yelled back at her, as if she could answer him.

"I don't know," she replied in that quiet and calm manner that made him feel tenser. "He was trying to protect her. He seemed like a good man. Sooner or later, however, someone is bound to find her. I doubt we will find him at home now."

"You're damn right, we won't! That son of a bitch is long gone!" he yelled before turning to continue on again. "We need to find them before someone else does!"

"And then do what?" she asked as she followed along behind him.

"Hell if I know! We just need to find him, and then we'll go from there!" he spat over his shoulder with a growl.

"I would love to speak with her, but it seemed she did not know our language," Robin said from behind him.

"Ya think?" he retorted as he turned his head to look at the woman over his shoulder, who was grasping her chin in thought.

"It would still be fascinating to at least study her a bit. I would love to ask her some questions. There is so much we don't know outside of our own solar system," Robin continued as if he had not spoken at all, which irritated him more.

He threw up his arms in exasperation and growled, "Astronomers!" He then just shook his head and snapped, "Well, good luck with that shit! I just want to get back to my planet! Hell, I'd settle for back to town!" However, if he allowed himself to touch on what he had seen, he was flabbergasted. An alien; a real life extraterrestrial. She was right, at least. It really was fascinating.

They were not alone…

Ignoring that thought for now, he needed to figure out how to get back to town faster. Removing his cell phone, he glanced down at it and noticed he had some signal. He stopped walking again and looked out down the highway. He could not call for someone to come pick them up, because it was suspicious, but perhaps he could call for a taxi.

With a sigh, he looked up the number and dialed. He knew it would still take them some time to reach them all the way out there, but it was better than walking. "I've got a signal… Going to call a taxi."

"Oh, thank goodness," she replied and sat down on the railing beside the highway.

With another sigh, he moved to sit down beside her as he waited for someone to answer and then gave them their location. "They'll be here in half an hour."

"Good, much faster than I had expected. I guess we were close," she said, looking on down the highway as she relaxed.

"I'll tell my superiors that he is in possession of the meteorite, and I'll ask them to help me locate him… but that we'll handle this ourselves. As long as they're not under any impression that the situation has escalated, we should be able to find them in peace," Zoro muttered as he stared down at his cell phone.

Robin nodded her head in agreement and muttered, "She tried to protect him as well. She's on an alien planet, and she trusted him so quickly. There must have been a reason. He really is a good man. I think anyone can sense this, but if she is powerful, maybe even more so? I wonder what she's doing here, and I wonder if she has the ability to go back to wherever she's from."

"Who knows?" Zoro said with a shrug. "What I'd like to know is how powerful she is, and if she's a danger to civilians."

"If she had wanted to hurt us, I believe that she would have done so. I don't believe she is a danger, but merely only wanted to protect him. Perhaps she could sense his fear and anxiety and so acted," Robin replied as she tilted her head to the side as if in thought. "I would like to get to know them both."

Zoro scoffed at this as he looked over at her and said, "Lady, you're strange."

"Perhaps," she replied in agreement as she turned a smile to him.

This made him chuckle as he looked away from her to out ahead of him. "Okay, I admit, I am curious about her. I would like to know what she's capable of."

"Mm, that would be fascinating," she replied in agreement as she nodded her head and looked out ahead of her as well. "Teleportation is most certainly astonishing."

"Tell me about it. I hope she never does it to us again," he muttered with a purse to his lips.

"I hope not as well," she said and chuckled.

**To Be Continued…**

**Author's Note: **Yes, you did just get an entire chapter of Zoro and Robin. xD I was having some trouble figuring out what to write about next, and as I was talking to DarthHawk32 just after posting the last chapter about it, the idea came to me. They're going to be an important part of the story as well, so you best get used to them, lol! I don't know about the other SHs just yet, except for one other so far, (no, I will not tell you who it is) so there's a chance some of them may not even be in this story, so don't expect them. Actually, I might have a place for another of the SHs, but I still haven't decided yet. Anyways, stay tuned for the next chapter. ;)


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: **So, I take it a lot of you didn't care for my Zoro and Robin chapter, seeing as I got few reviews. -_- Pfft, whatever… (Grumbles under her breath) I like Zoro and Robin… Anyway, enjoy this chapter… X(

**Empathy**

**Chapter 8**

They had been driving for a few hours now, and the long drive was beginning to get to him. Luffy kept imagining helicopters and police cars appearing out of nowhere, and so occasionally glanced out of his window to make sure there were no helicopters.

When Nami suddenly spoke up in that soft way that she did, Luffy jumped and looked over at her. There was clear concern on her face as she looked back at him. Looking off and on at her and to the road, he said, "I'm okay. Just… worried. I've got an old friend we can go to for help. I know he'd be willing to trade vehicles. I had to get gas before we left, so chances are, they'll know what we're driving. Maybe we can stay with him for a little while. I have no idea if they can find us with those satellites or whatever, and I damn well know you can't understand a word I'm saying, but I find myself prattling like a frightened child." He growled in irritation at himself and rumpled his black hair.

She hummed as if in reply to his prattling, and then she reached out to rest a gentle and soft hand over his arm, and in that next moment, he suddenly felt a serenity he was sure he had never felt before. He relaxed within his seat, and then he looked over at her. "Thank you," he whispered, and she smiled back at him.

He gave her an awkward half smile in return, but then returned his eyes to the road. Taking deep breaths, he closed his eyes for only a moment and told himself that everything would be alright. Somehow, he would help her to get back to where she was from.

"Uh, anyway, we're almost there. Just a few more miles. I know we can trust him," he said with a nod as he gazed out over the road.

Not to long after, he was pulling into a dirt road which led away from the highway they were traveling down. The road was completely surrounded by woods, and soon, a little cottage came into view.

"Here we are. I really hope he's home," Luffy muttered as he put the truck in park and leaned over to unbuckle her seatbelt for her. Unbuckling his own, he got out and went around to open the door for her to help her out.

She whispered something to him, and Luffy had to assume it was thanks. "No problem," he muttered as he headed up towards the cottage with her following him. Coming up to the door, Luffy knocked on it loudly and waited, glancing about nervously.

After a while, the door opened a crack and a long nose appeared. Behind it was a single eye which looked out at them.

Luffy moved to peer inside and called, "Usopp! It's me, Luffy!"

"Luffy? What're you doing here?" the long nosed man called as he opened up the door. He was shirtless, leaving his muscular torso visible. "It's been a while," he said with a grin.

"It has been! It's been rough since I moved away with my grandpa," Luffy said, grinning in turn as the two clasped hands in greeting and then pulled into a hug.

"Come in! Come in!" Usopp said as he pulled away and opened his door more for them to enter.

"Thanks!" Luffy said and turned to Nami. "Come on, Nami, it's alright," he said and held his hand out to her when she remained standing outside.

Appearing uncertain, she glanced at Usopp, but then back at Luffy. After a moment, it was clear she chose to trust Luffy as she reached out to grasp his callous hand with her soft one. She then took cautious steps inside as she looked about.

"Oh? Who's this? Your girlfriend? She seems shy!" Usopp said with a flush and a grin to her beautiful face. Nami flushed and moved to hide behind Luffy.

"No, not even close. Usopp, I need your help. I'm going to tell – well, show you something, and you have to give me your word you won't tell another soul," Luffy said, gazing back at Usopp as he kept Nami's hand within his.

"Mm, yeah, 'course I won't tell anyone," Usopp said with a nod, though Luffy could tell he still did not understand the seriousness of the situation.

With a sigh, Luffy moved out from in front of Nami and motioned to her. "Usopp, this is Nami. She's an alien."

Usopp blinked at this, but then he chuckled and said, "An illegal alien, huh? Where's she from, up north, or across the sea? What exactly do you need from me?"

"You have no idea just how far," Luffy whispered and rubbed over his hair.

"Oh yeah, hey! I heard on the news about some weird meteorite, which caused an earthquake and an aurora to appear out by where you live! Did you see anything?" Usopp exclaimed with excitement.

"Uh, yeah – Look, Usopp, I don't think you underst –" Luffy started, but he was suddenly cut off by another voice.

"Oh, guests!"

Luffy gasped as he moved on instinct by pulling Nami even more behind him and facing this new person, who was smiling at them from down the hall. Nami took in a sharp breath and hid behind Luffy as well, pressing her hands and forehead into his back.

"Ah, sorry!" the young man, with blue eyes and light brown hair, exclaimed to startling them, "I didn't mean to scare you."

"Ah, it's alright, Luffy," Usopp said and laughed to their strange reaction. "This is my roommate, Chopper Tony, but I just call him Tony! Tony, this is my old friend, Luffy and his friend Nami."

"Ah, yeah, my parents were weird, but anyway, it's nice to meet you, Luffy. Usopp has told me all about you!" Tony said as his smile returned.

Luffy looked between Usopp and Tony with wary eyes, and then he began backing up towards the door, pushing Nami as he went.

"Uh, Luffy? You alright?" Usopp asked as he scratched his head in confusion. "It's alright, you know? Tony won't tell on ya!"

"Hmm? Tell on them?" Tony asked with curiosity as he glanced to Usopp and then back to Luffy and Nami.

"Ah, yeah, his friend Nami is an illegal alien," Usopp said and thumbed towards Nami.

"Oh, illegal, huh? I'm sure she has a good reason. Maybe we can help out. Does she need citizenship?" Tony asked as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"No, we better go. We'll figure this out," Luffy replied in a rush as he turned to open the door to usher Nami out.

"Wait a minute – Wait a minute! Luffy, hold on!" Usopp exclaimed as he moved to grasp Luffy's arm. "What's going on, Luffy? Why do you look so scared?"

Luffy turned to look at him, and he was indeed agitated. He glanced towards Tony before looking back at Usopp and said, "I'm sorry, but it was a mistake to come here. You don't understand, and now I can't tell you."

"Wait, wait, wait! You can trust Tony! I've known him for a couple of years now! He won't rat on ya, Luffy!" Usopp said as he glanced towards Tony as well.

"Uh, if you preferred, I can just go back to my room. I'm sorry," Tony said and thumbed back down the hall.

Luffy groaned as he grasped his head, feeling the anxiety washing over him once again. Nami made a sound, but did not quite use her voice as she grasped Luffy's arm and pressed her forehead to it. He felt that calm washing over him once again, but there was something else mixed in.

Looking over at Nami with his own concern, he could almost feel that she was just as scared, but for whatever reason, she was trying to help him remain calm. "Nami," he whispered and reached out to place a gentle hand on her head. Taking a deep breath, he whispered, "It's going to be okay. I promise. I'll make sure it'll be okay."

"Luffy," Usopp whispered as he glanced towards Nami, now understanding that whatever it was, it was serious. "Luffy, you said you needed help, and it seems you really need it. I promise you can trust Tony. Please, come back inside and talk to me. What's going on?"

Releasing a quivered breath, Luffy finally looked up at Usopp, his fear, he was sure, showing clearly. "Please… please promise you won't tell _anyone_," he whispered as he glanced to both men inside. "Understand that if you _do_ tell someone," he looked down at Nami again, "_her_ life will be forfeit."

Usopp took in a shaky breath, and he looked to Luffy as if he was feeling the weight of what was about to be said to him just as Luffy felt it. Despite this, Usopp gave a quick nod and whispered, "I promise, Luffy. I won't tell a soul."

"I promise I won't tell anyone," Tony whispered, his expression showing a bit of fear and uncertainty just as Usopp was.

Taking in a breath, Luffy nodded and whispered, "Okay, I'm trusting you with her life." He then turned to look at Nami, who peered back up at him through the opening of the hoodie. He then turned to her and slid his fingers within the opening to let the hoodie fall back, and then he untied her bandana to reveal the stars on her forehead and her long, pointed ears.

Usopp fainted.

**To Be Continued…**

**Author's Note: **Lol, oh Usopp. XP I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter at least, yeesh! -_- Anyway, stay tuned for the next chapter. xD


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note:** So here's the next chapter. I'm really excited today! ^^ I go to pick up my husband at the airport~! I can't wait to see him! I've missed him so much! Anyways, enjoy you guys! :D

**Empathy**

**Chapter 9**

"Usopp! Hey, Usopp!" Luffy called down at his friend from where he was knelt down over him. He then gave the long nosed man a small slap to snap him out of it.

"Huh, what?" Usopp exclaimed as he jolted awake and looked between all the faces looking down at him, but the one face which was different was the one his eyes gravitated to. "Lu – Lu – Lu – Lu –"

"I did say she was an alien, and I wasn't talking about the illegal immigrant kind," Luffy said as he grabbed his arm and yanked him up to his unsteady feet.

"This is… This is… incredible," Tony whispered, having been staring at Nami the entire time.

Seeming to not like the awkward attention on her, Nami moved to hide behind Luffy again. Looking back at her behind him, Luffy whispered to her, "It's alright, Nami. They won't hurt you. I wouldn't let them anyway."

"Bu – Bu – Bu – Meteorite…" Usopp stuttered as he pointed at Nami.

"It wasn't a meteorite. It was Nami, and she landed near my house," Luffy said as he looked back towards the two again. "There's an agent and some lady who kept comin' around my house. They saw Nami, and she made them disappear. I don't know what happened to them. I need your help to get her as far away as possible. I need to trade vehicles with you, and I need you to keep my grandpa's truck hidden in your garage. Can you do that for me?"

"Uh, yeah… yeah… I – I can do that," Usopp said as he gave quick nods, but his eyes remained on the alien woman, even though she was attempting to hide.

"M – Made them disappear?" Tony asked, and Luffy watched as his face lost color.

"Yes, so sooner or later, they'll come looking for us. Please, you can't tell anyone about her," Luffy said, looking at Tony specifically.

"I – N – No… No, I won't tell anyone – She didn't kill them, did she?" Tony whispered, now looking a bit fearful.

This made Nami whimper, and the two finally got to hear her ethereal voice. "Whoa!" Usopp exclaimed as his already large eyes managed to open much wider, as did Tony's.

"Yeah, she's all around different from us," Luffy said and smiled down at her and turned to place a hand on her head. "It's alright, Nami," he whispered before turning back to the two. "I don't know what she did to them, but… I don't know. I feel as if she wouldn't have hurt them. I'm sure they're somewhere. I just sure as hell hope we don't see them again any time soon.

"Yeah, okay… okay… I – I can help. Listen, Luffy, you know they got cameras all around. You stop at any store, and they'll see ya…" Usopp said as he rubbed over his head and glanced about, though what he was looking for, Luffy had no idea. "You might need someone to help you out more than just givin' you a car."

"What?" Luffy asked, surprised by his words. "Wait, Usopp, I can't ask that of you. This is a heavy burden. You shouldn't get more involved than I'm already askin' of ya."

"Don't you worry about me. I can call into work and let them know a family emergency has come up. I've been with them a long time; they'll understand. You need help, Luffy; Nami needs help, so let me help," Usopp said, his expression showing his determination.

"I'd really like to help, too," Tony said as he looked between them all. "I think the more, the better."

Luffy was worried, really worried. He was not sure what would happen to them for aiding them as much as they were, but to get fully involved? He groaned and brought a hand to the side of his head.

"Luffy…"

Lifting his eyes, he then turned to look at Nami, who was gazing back at him. Hearing her call his name and seeing the expression on her face, he could not help the soft smile he offered to her in return. She always tried her best every time he felt overwhelmed, despite the fact that she was the one in a worse situation, and he was grateful to her for it. "Thanks, Nami," he whispered, once again placing a hand over her head.

Seeing his smile and feeling his gentle hand on her head, she smiled back at him in kind. She then offered him whispered words, and though he could not understand them, he could feel the encouragement, and this made his chest swell.

"You're right. It'll be okay," he whispered with a nod, which made her smile more brightly.

"Wow, she's so pretty," Usopp whispered as he and Tony gazed back at her in awe.

"Yeah," Tony whispered in agreement as his cheeks flushed pink.

Luffy gave a quiet chuckle, but then he turned back to the two and said, "Well, if you really want to go, you'd best get some things ready. We should leave as soon as possible. I need to hide the truck before they track it here."

"Right, yeah, of course. Let me move out my car, so you can move the truck in," Usopp said with a nod as he rushed to grab his keys.

"Thanks, Usopp, Tony, we really appreciate this," Luffy said, looking back at the two with gratitude and a smile.

"It's no problem. I'll go hurry to get ready!" Chopper said with a bright smile of his own, and then he turned to quickly pack some things.

Luffy turned to Nami and said, "Nami, wait right here while I go move the truck." He then pointed to the ground and said again, "Wait here." He then moved to leave, and when she still moved to follow, he held up a hand and said yet again, "Wait here. I'll be right back."

She whimpered again as she clutched her hands to her chest. It was clear she was very worried that he was leaving without her from the furrow in her brows.

Seeing her fear, he smiled to her and went back to her to clutch her arms. "I promise you, Nami, I will never leave you alone. I will see getting you home to the very end. I will be right back, I promise. I just need you to stay inside to keep you safe," he whispered to her.

She gazed back at him with the concern still etched into her face, but then she sighed, making him smile a little wider. "I'll be back," he said again before he turned to leave the house.

When he closed the door behind him, she gave another whimper, glanced about and then moved to sit within a corner of the house to wait for him to return.

**To Be Continued…**

**Author's Note: **M'aww~! So sweet! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. xD I really need to figure some stuff out, lol! Stay tuned for the next chapter. ;)


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: ** So, I've got a bit of bad news… Since I've been writing a lot (typing a lot), and I'm thinking my awkward seating position while I'm here at my parents' house, I've hurt my wrist. :/ So, I need to take a small break from writing to let it heal. X( Hopefully, it won't be too long. Anyways, this is the last chapter I have, too. So, enjoy it! XD

**Empathy**

**Chapter 10**

When Luffy came back inside, he looked all around for Nami, finding her hiding within a corner of the house. He watched as she slid up the wall and rushed over to him. He smiled back at her and said, "I told you I'd come back."

She hummed, still appearing uncertain as she reached out to clutch his shirt. He understood her fear, but he could still only imagine what she must be feeling. He was flattered that she had put so much trust into him and seemed somewhat comfortable when he was with her. Of course, he also understood that she had no other choice, but to trust him. It was her best option.

Reaching out, he rubbed over her head and whispered, "I would never pass you off to anyone else. We'll get through this, together, okay? Will figure out how to get you home."

She hummed again and peered up at him. She then sighed as if finally feeling relaxed. She looked so lost and confused. He was sure she had no idea what he was going to actually do with her. He knew it took a lot of courage to trust him at all, and he would make damn sure he never broke that trust.

"I'll hurry to get ready, Luffy," Usopp said as he rushed in and down the hall to his room.

"Thanks, Usopp," Luffy called after him with a smile.

"Usopp," Nami whispered as she glanced about the house.

Looking back down at her, Luffy grinned with a nod and said, "That's right! His name is Usopp."

Now that he was there, she moved off away from him and began to explore these new surroundings. She was probably wondering what the hell everything was and what their purpose was. He decided to follow after her as she examined things, and then he pointed to a vase she was admiring as he said, "Vase."

Glancing up at him, she then looked back at the vase and whispered, "Vase."

"Yes," he replied and grinned with a nod. He then pointed out a few other things and began to name them. Each time he did so, she would repeat the words in a whisper, as if attempting to memorize it.

"Okay, we're ready. We should go," Usopp said as he and Tony came down the hall, both holding packs.

Luffy looked up with a smile and a nod. He then turned back to Nami to tie the bandana he had stuffed within his pocket around her forehead again as well as pull the hoodie back over her head, and then he clasped her hand. "Let's go, Nami," he said and gave her a gentle tug to urge her to follow him.

Follow him she did, whispering to herself all of the words he had told her as well as their names.

As they drove along the interstate, and now that he did not have to drive, Luffy pointed out everything they could see to her and told her what their names were. To each name, she would repeat it in a whisper, and occasionally, she would repeat again some of the other words he had told her.

"Sky, cloud, Tony, road, grass, Usopp, tree," she whispered as she gazed out of the window.

Luffy chuckled and said, "That's right."

Looking away from the window, she looked back at him and whispered, "Luffy."

"Yup, that's me," he said and pointed to himself.

"Me," she repeated and pointed to him.

He laughed as he shook his head, pointing to himself again, and said, "No, I'm Luffy. I am me." He then pointed to her and said, "You are you. You are Nami."

Her expression contorted with confusion, and then she whispered, "You are you… I am me."

"When you refer to yourself," he said as he pointed to her, "you are considered I to you, and you are also considered me to you." Then he pointed to himself again and said, "Then I would be you, to you. I know, it's really complicated."

Usopp chuckled and said, "It really is. I doubt she would be able to learn it quick. It took us all years!"

"Yeah, but I think she wants to learn anyway," Luffy said and smiled at her. Picking up her hand, he pressed it into her chest and said, "I am Nami."

"I am Nami," she whispered, her expression changing to concentration.

"Yes!" Luffy said and nodded as he pointed to her. "You are Nami." Then he pressed her hand to her chest again and said, "Then you say, 'I am Nami.'"

"I am Nami," she whispered, and then she pointed to him and said, "You are Luffy."

His eyes lit up with surprise, but then he smiled brightly and exclaimed with a hearty nod, "Yes!"

"Wow, that's amazing! She understood it!" Tony said as he looked back at Nami with a smile. He pressed a hand to his chest and said, "I am Tony!"

Nami looked over at him with a smile as she pointed to him and said, "You are Tony."

"Yes!" Tony replied with a bright grin as he nodded.

She then pointed to Usopp and said, "You are Usopp."

"Yes, that's right!" Usopp said as he laughed, turning to glance at her for just a moment before looking back to the road.

Nami sat back as she took a proud breath. It would seem she was determined to learn their language to be able to communicate with them. Luffy chuckled as he grinned at her and he could not help, but to also feel pride for her determination.

Looking about, Luffy noticed a book shoved underneath Usopp's seat, and so he reached beneath it to grab it. "Hey, look at this, Nami," Luffy said and showed it to her. "It's a book. I can show you the letters, and maybe this can help us out even more."

Nami leaned closer to get a look, and he grinned as he opened it. He then began sounding out each letter to her, and to each one he sounded out for her, she would repeat in a whisper. Her eyes were wide and nearly unblinking as she soaked it all in.

He smiled wider, feeling the excitement of it. Maybe he really could help her to speak their language. He would love to hear her speak to him, and he actually understand her.

**To Be Continued…**

**Author's Note:** Alright, I hope you guys enjoyed it. I think it's good that I've hurt my wrist. It'll give me time to think about the direction I want to go and figure it all out. :) So, I'll still say this! Stay tuned for the next chapter! :D

**P.S.** It hurt to type the A/N's! ;~; My poor wrist…


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note:** Okay, so my wrist seems to be healed, so I am back to work! XD I think I just need to be careful with it, or it'll just start hurting again. Anyways, I won't keep ya. xD Enjoy!

**Empathy**

**Chapter 11**

"This is a tangerine?"

Luffy gave a deep and quiet chuckle as he peeled the skin off from the fruit and looked over towards the wide, curious eyes of the beautiful alien woman as she watched what he did closely. "Yes, it's a tangerine. It's sweet and tart!"

"Sweet and tart," she repeated in a whisper as she finally blinked.

"Alright, it's all peeled and ready to eat," he said as he pulled it apart and broke off a piece. "Here, try it," he said, handing it to her.

"Try it," she whispered as she took the offered piece and took a bite, trusting him completely to give her something good. Her eyes lit up bright as she chewed, popped the rest of it into her mouth, and then she held her hand out to ask for more. "Please?"

Luffy grinned and chuckled with giddy joy, having known she would love the fruit. "Here you go," he said, tearing off one of the pieces to eat himself, but then handing her the rest.

"Thank you," she whispered, as she took the fruit and began to nibble on it. She gave a joyous hum as she rocked her head to and fro, appearing very pleased by the tangy fruit.

Luffy chuckled again with a slight tinge to his cheeks and a grin on his face. She was adorable! She had learned so much of their language within the last few days. It was amazing. She was very intelligent. He wondered just how much more he could teach her, and so had asked Usopp to bring him even more books than they had already gathered. He had been reading them to her, and she seemed content to soak it all in.

"She's so cute!" Tony exclaimed from where he sat on the opposite bed within the motel room in which they were currently staying.

"Cute," Nami whispered as she popped a whole slice into her mouth to eat, only seeming half aware of what they were doing, giving most of her attention to the tangerine.

"She is," Luffy agreed with another giddy chuckle. "It's fun just to watch her."

"Fun."

"She always seems so happy! It always makes me feel really happy, too!" Chopper said as he also chuckled. "She's learned so much in such a short time. It's really amazing!"

"It is amazing. She's amazing!" Luffy agreed with a nod.

"Amazing."

Luffy snickered to Nami repeating words in her soft whisper, which was also adorable. She left the two giggling like happy children as they just watched her.

Once she was done with her tangerine, she again held out her hand to him and asked, "Please?"

"Okay, let me peel another," Luffy said, smiling for her as he took another tangerine out of a bag and began to peel it for her.

Just then, the door opened, and Usopp rushed in. "Okay, I have some more books, food and water, and I managed to get some more clothes for Nami, which should fit her better."

"Thanks, Usopp!" Luffy said and grinned at his friend as he handed Nami the peeled tangerine.

"Thank you," Nami said as she smiled at Usopp and popped another slice into her mouth.

Usopp grinned brightly in return as he set everything down and said, "You're welcome!"

"Okay, Nami," Luffy said as he sorted through the clothes Usopp had brought. "Here are some clean clothes for you, okay?"

"Clean clothes," she whispered as she looked over at the clothes. "For me?"

"Yup, for you," Luffy said and nodded to her.

She smiled brightly back at him as she moved to look over what Usopp had brought her. She looked down at the baggy pants and flannel shirt she was wearing, and then back up at the clothes lined up on the second bed. She hummed and just looked confused.

"Ah, right… I had to put those on you, but wait, didn't you have clothes on already? I mean, it was weird and as bright as you were, but…" Luffy started as he scratched his head. "Do you need help, then?"

"Need help," she whispered and nodded her head with that adorable look of concern she always got.

His cheeks flushed, but then he nodded and said, "Well, at least you had that weird glowing dress on. Okay, I'll help you."

Her own cheeks seemed to glow, and she glanced over to the other two in the room, who both perked. "Ah, we'll leave!" Tony said as he and Usopp scampered to leave the room.

Once they were gone, Nami turned her head back to Luffy, but she still seemed embarrassed. Taking in a deep breath, Luffy stood up and went to her. He began to unbutton the flannel shirt, but then he blinked when all he saw was cleavage. He blinked again and again as he pulled the shirt open a little more, and then his cheeks flamed as he stumbled back.

"Nami, what happened to that weird dress?" he exclaimed in shock as he gaped at her bare cleavage, and he could even see her belly button.

She hummed as she pulled the shirt closed, her cheeks a bright red now. "Dress," she whispered, keeping her eyes averted from him.

He stuttered as he tried to find words to speak, but then he just scratched his head in confusion. "I don't understand… You were wearing that bright dress when I found you. I tucked it into those clothes when I put them on you. Where did it go?"

She shook her head and looked down at herself. She then said something in her own language.

Luffy just scratched his head some more in his confusion, but he allowed himself to think about it some, and then his eyes lit up. "The bright light… It's all you, right? It was too bright, so you made it go away, didn't you? You use… whatever it is that makes you glow bright… to cover yourself, don't you?"

Looking up at him again, she blinked back at him, but it seemed understanding swarmed within her eyes, as if she understood that he understood, and so she nodded.

Luffy groaned to this and said, "And that's why you have no idea how to dress yourself." He gave a sigh and nodded. "I understand. I won't look." He went back to her, closed his eyes and began to undress her.

It was difficult to do since he could not see, and his cheeks burned bright to having to feel his way into undressing her, but he made sure not to touch her too much and make her uncomfortable. Once he removed all of the clothes, he turned to the bed and opened his eyes once again, trying his hardest to ignore the nude woman beside him.

He picked out another shirt and said, "Lift up your arms for me." He even lifted his own arms to show her, but did not look at her. He saw her lift up her arms from the corners of his eyes, closed his once again, and then fumbled to put the shirt onto her. "Okay, now the pants," he said, picking those up as he lifted up a leg. "Now, lift your leg." When she did so, he helped her put those on as well.

Once he buttoned them up, he opened his eyes to look up at her, and the flush once again spread as his gaze shifted away from her.

She was smiling back at him in a way that made his heart skip a beat.

"Thank you," she said, just above a whisper, which allowed for him to hear more of her beautiful voice.

"Y-You're welcome," he said, feeling the heat spreading even more. "Uh… and Usopp… brought a thicker jacket for you. I-It's pretty cold. You can wear it over the hoodie, which you still have to wear, so they can't see you, and he also brought you some gloves, to keep your hands warm, and some socks – I have no idea why I didn't think to put socks on you. You were probably really cold, but we were in a hurry, and I was just trying to keep you safe," he said in a fast and nervous ramble.

When she chuckled at him, he shuddered, feeling very strange and nervous for whatever reason, and so he moved back towards the door. "I'll let them know they can come back in," he muttered in the same fast ramble. He then opened the door and said, "You can come back in." He then turned and just went to sit within one of the chairs in the room.

Both Usopp and Chopper peered back inside, as if making sure it really was okay, though not that they could not take his word for it.

Nami was sitting on the bed now with her new clothes on and a smile on her face. Nami had been the blushing nervous one before they left, and now Luffy was, which made him even more nervous. He was sure they were taking note of that. Maybe after this, she would understand how to change herself, and he would not have to do so for her again.

Luffy then just sighed. They had been on the road for days, just to keep on the move, but he was still no closer to figuring out how to get her back home. He needed a little more time; just a little more time. The more of their language he could teach her as quickly as possible, then the quicker she might be able to just tell them how to get her home.

X X X X

Zoro shoved the glass doors open and rushed over towards a group of men in front of several monitors. "It's been several days now. Please tell me you got something for me," he said as he pressed his palm into the table to get a look at what they were looking at.

"We've been following the path your perps may have taken, and we've come across some suspicious individuals. There are two males we spotted – one with a really long ass nose – buying several used books, clothes and a lot of food, and cameras have shown them traveling with two other individuals, who it seems are trying their hardest to hide. It's another male, and a female from what we can tell. They're very good at hiding their faces."

Zoro gazed back at the monitors with intensity as if trying to see if the two individuals were who he was looking for, but as the man said, they were very careful about not being seen. "It's a lead. I'll go with it," he said after a while.

"You better hurry before they sell off that rock, though maybe they're smart enough to know we'd just track that," one of the men said.

"Don't worry, I'll get 'em. Thanks," Zoro said as he rushed out and pulled out his cell phone to call that astronomer woman. After a while, he said into his cell phone, "I might have found them."

**To Be Continued…**

**Author's Note: **Uh oh! D: Zoro's onto them again! D: What're they gonna do!? Stay tuned for the next chapter to find out. xD


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note: **I am so sorry for leaving you guys like that, lol! We spent the weekend with a friend, and though I wrote on Friday while I was there, it was before we'd really gotten anything started. It ended up being a free weekend for ARK on Steam, and so we played all into the weekend, and then when I got home, I was hooked and just kept playing it. xD I decided today that I had better write something. X( Anyway, enjoy, lol!

**Empathy**

**Chapter 12**

Luffy walked about the motel room the next morning, checking to make sure that they had not left anything behind, and then he moved into the bathroom to check there as well.

Nami sat on the bed, just waiting as he did so, and she was just watching him as he came back out again. He offered her a smile once he did, and she offered him one as well. "We go?" she asked him as she stood up.

"Yes, we can go now," he replied with a nod as he held his hand out to her.

She went to him and slipped her hand into his. He grabbed the last bag, just as Usopp appeared within the open doorway. "Is that the last of it?" he asked as he gave a glance about as well.

"Yup, that's all of it," Luffy replied with a nod. "Just have to pack this one away."

"Here, I got it," Usopp said, coming to take it from him.

"Thanks, Usopp," Luffy said and grinned at him as he pulled his hoodie over his head. He then turned to Nami to do the same as he grinned back at her through it.

She chuckled softly as she peered back at him, and then he led her out to the waiting car. He opened up the car for her and helped her to sit inside as well as buckled her in. Then he went around to get in on his side as Usopp got into the driver's seat.

Just across the street, Zoro gazed at them through Robin's window with a slight glare and frown. "It's them… I know it is."

"Perhaps," Robin said, gazing out at them as well as they began to pull out of the motel parking lot.

"Duck down," Zoro said as he quickly leaned down, and she did as he asked.

Zoro peered out just a bit, watching as they made the turn out of the lot. After a while, he turned on his car and began tailing them from a distance.

Nami perked up, catching Luffy's eye. He glanced over to her and watched as she looked from side to side out of the window. "Nami? Are you okay?" he asked as he leaned towards her and saw her frown.

Her eyes shifted to and fro as her brows dipped down lower, looking more and more worried, and then she whispered, "Bad…"

"Bad?" Luffy asked and also began to frown. "What do you mean, bad?"

"Bad? What's bad?" Usopp asked, already beginning to sound worried.

"What's going on? What's wrong with Nami?" Tony asked as he turned to look at them.

"I don't know, but something's got her worried," Luffy said as he glanced out of the back window, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary with all the cars behind them. He then faced forward and sat up a bit to see where they were going. He then pointed out and said, "Take a turn there."

"R – Right," Usopp said with a nervous nod, and then he made a quick turn.

Luffy sat back and turned to glance out of the window, to see if anyone would follow them down the narrow road. When no car seemed to turn, he released his breath and began to relax, but then he went rigid when a car did turn. "Make another turn," he said with an edge to his tone.

"W – Where?" Usopp asked as he glanced about.

"Back towards the way we came," Luffy muttered as he stared unblinking to the red sedan following them.

"O – Okay," Usopp said as he made the turn to head back the direction they came.

Luffy kept his eyes on the corner, waiting for the car to come up. When it also made the turn, he whirled back around and said, "Fuck… They found us."

"W – W – What do I do?" Usopp exclaimed in a panic.

"You're going to calm down," Luffy said, though he did not feel calm either. However, Usopp was the one driving.

"Calm down – Right," Usopp said, taking deep, but still frantic breaths.

"Damn it, Usopp! Calm your breathing! Last thing we need is you passing out behind the wheel!" Luffy yelled at him and glanced back towards the car still following them.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry!" Usopp exclaimed, and Tony reached out to grasp his arm.

"It's alright, Usopp. Breathe with me, okay?" he said as he took in a deep breath. "Breathe in, and then breathe out," he said as he did so, and Usopp took deep, calm breaths with him.

Luffy closed his eyes and shook his head, feeling his heart pounding within his chest. What the hell were they doing to do now?

When Luffy felt a hand on his shoulder, he opened his eyes and looked over at Nami. "Bad," Nami whispered as she gazed back at Luffy with her concern.

"Yes, I know; bad," Luffy said as he reached up to grasp her hand over his shoulder. "We're going to figure this out."

Nami just nodded back at him as her fingers tightened in around his.

"Son of a bitch… He's smarter than I thought… He knows we're tailing him," Zoro growled as he made a turn to head away from them.

When Luffy glanced back to see that the car had turned, he closed his eyes and released a ragged breath. "They're gone…"

"O – Okay, but what do I do now?" Usopp asked, his voice still quivering with fear.

"Go back to the main road," Luffy said and pointed back towards the way they had come.

"R – Right," Usopp said with a nod as he pulled up to the next small intersection, preparing to turn, but then he cried out as he slammed onto the breaks, when that same red car suddenly appeared within their path and halted before them.

"Son of a bitch!" Luffy exclaimed as he grasped hold of Nami as they lurched forward from the hard stop. When he looked up, he saw as that same green haired man climbed out of the red car and aimed his firearm at them.

"Out of the car, now!"

**To Be Continued…**

**Author's Note: **Uh oh! D: Not good! What's Zoro going to do? ;~; WHO KNOWS!? Hahaha, stay tuned for the next chapter. xD


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note: **Okay… again… I am so sorry for leaving you guys, but I swear it wasn't because I didn't want to write. X( At the beginning of the week, my hubby ordered me a new hard drive… When it came in, he went to make a copy from my old hard drive… and things just went downhill from there. First of all, we couldn't get the damn thing to fit within my laptop… Turns out, we were putting the stupid cover on backwards. I turned it around, and it finally fit. Then the stupid thing didn't copy correctly. Whenever he went to turn on the laptop, it failed… He went through several recopies, which took several days, only for the same thing to happen… He finally just had to do a complete reinstall of my Operating System, which took another couple of days because of all the updates, and then he also had to reupgrade it to Windows 10… So, yeah, that's been my week… A whole week without my laptop or writing SUCKED! D:

**ANNOUNCEMENT: **Anyways… I'm back, but actually, I have some news. Now, this is where it gets important, so pay attention. I may be putting this fic on hiatus for a time. Now, here's the reason why. I'm really in the mood to rewrite _Possession_. I'm going to start it completely over, actually, so I may just repost what I had written for the original.

However, here's the thing. I won't be posting it, until I've completely written the entire thing. I will post a chapter a day once it's finished, like how I normally do, and I will also be writing longer chapters for you guys. So, look forward to that. Now, here's where it also gets exciting, if you're not already excited. I will be writing it to be much more detailed, which is why I won't be posting it chapter per chapter, until I've completed it. I want to get it all right this time around. I'm considering it practice. :) Every time I write chapter per chapter, mistakes always come up, and as I go along, I always come across inconsistencies and things I should have done, but forgot, or didn't think about until later. As I said, I want to get it right, so you guys can enjoy the story much more. :)

Anyways, I won't keep you guys any longer. Enjoy this chapter, you won't be getting another one for a while.

**Empathy**

**Chapter 13**

Luffy gaped back at the same green haired agent, and his heart slammed within his chest before pounding away. Well, at least now he knew that they were not dead, though he somehow had doubted they were anyway.

"Luffy, what do we do?" Usopp exclaimed in a panic.

"I said out of the fucking car!" Zoro demanded again as he cocked back his firearm, causing both Usopp and Tony to cry out and speak all at once.

"Shut up already!" Luffy exclaimed, but he held up his hands and glanced over to Nami, whose eyes were huge in her fear as she gazed back at him. "It'll be alright, Nami. I won't let them take you." He then turned and reached out to open his door.

With a gasp, she reached out to grab his arm and cried, "Luffy, don't!"

Turning back to her, Luffy smiled and said, "It'll be alright." Grasping her hand, which was grasping his, he pulled her hand away and slipped out of the car, once again lifting his hands into the air. "You're alive… That's good."

"Don't fucking give me that shit! I want all of you out of the car, now!" Zoro exclaimed as he came around to Luffy's side.

"I can't let you take her," Luffy said, but he lowered his hand to halt the others from getting out of the car.

Zoro scoffed in disbelief, but also shocked amusement by Luffy's blatant statement. "Not sure if you've noticed, but you're in no position to make any such claims. I'm the one with the gun here," he said, holding up the gun as if to show him, as if he had not already seen it.

"Don't care. You can't take her," Luffy said and glared him down.

"We've no intention of taking her anywhere," Robin said as she also got out of the car.

Zoro rolled his eyes up towards the sky, and then he turned to look at the annoying woman. "And we had no intention of actually telling him that."

Robin just smiled at him before shifting her eyes to Luffy. "I would like to speak to her. It would seem she knows our language, after all."

"Actually, she doesn't," Luffy said as he glanced in at Nami, whose eyes were still on him. "She's learning really quickly, though. She's desperate to communicate." He looked back up at Robin and said, "I can't trust you. I know what could happen to her. I can't let any of it happen to her. I'm going to get her home."

Robin smiled wide back at him and said, "That's very noble of you. Have you any idea how to?"

Luffy's eye twitched, as he frowned at this woman, and then he said, "No, but I'm sure she'll help us figure it out, once she's learned more."

"You say you can't trust us, but I'm still the one with the gun. She seems to know some of our language. Let the woman talk to her," Zoro said, aiming the gun at Luffy once again.

"No!" Nami cried as she flew out of the car and put herself before Luffy to block him.

"Nami!" Luffy cried as he reached out to pull her back against him. "Nami, it's alright – it's alright."

"Whoa! You keep her away from us! I don't want another long ass walk!" Zoro said, now aiming the gun at her.

"Put that away, damn it!" Luffy yelled right back at him, but then he shifted his eyes to the side of Zoro.

Coming up beside Zoro, Robin reached out and placed a gentle hand on Zoro's arm to urge him to lower it. "A gun is unnecessary."

Frowning back at her with a grunt, he then looked back towards Luffy and Nami, but then he uncocked it and holstered it. "You stay the fuck over there, you hear me?"

"Yeah, yeah," Luffy said, pursing his lips back at him.

Robin ignored Zoro telling them to stay where they were, and instead approached them as she kept her smile. "Hello, Nami," she said and nodded her head to her as she pressed a hand to her chest, "I am Robin."

"Robin," Nami repeated in her whisper as she looked over the woman, and then she shifted her eyes towards the green haired man.

Robin turned to motion towards Zoro and said, "And this is Zoro."

"Zoro," Nami repeated again before shifting her eyes back towards Robin. "What want?" she asked in her quiet voice.

"Just to talk. We're merely curious about you," Robin said with a shrug.

"Curious," Nami whispered as she looked her over. "Talk?"

"Yes, talk. Where are you from?" Robin asked.

"From," Nami whispered, but did not appear as if she could answer.

"She doesn't know how to answer that yet. I already told you. She doesn't know much yet. Let her learn a bit more before you ask her questions," Luffy said as he frowned back at this woman.

"Then would it be alright to travel with yo-?"

"No," Luffy replied before the woman could finish her sentence. "We don't know or trust you. We can't have you knowing where we are at all times to alert your buddies."

"If we had alerted my buddies of her existence, she would already be in our custody," Zoro said as he kept his never ending glare on the other man.

"I doubt that," Luffy said as he glared right back. "Nami wouldn't have let you. She's not safe with you around, so go away."

"And she's safe with you?" Zoro said and scoffed again with contempt.

"She's still here, isn't she?" Luffy retorted while giving him a disgusted look.

"You said she wouldn't let them take her. If this is the case, it would be safe for us to travel with you. We were able to find you now, so we would be able to find you later, as well," Robin pointed out as she tilted her head at him.

Luffy grunted as he shifted his frown onto her, but as he thought about it, he knew she was right. No matter what, they would probably find them.

"Please, I would also like to help her get home, but in the meantime, I would greatly love to learn all I can from her before she does go home," Robin said as she smiled at Luffy again. "There's so much we could learn from her."

Luffy ground his teeth as he regarded this woman in thought, but then he looked over at Nami to get her opinion. As he looked over at her, his eyes met with her chocolate brown ones. It seemed she was regarding him in question as to what they were going to do. Lowering his eyes a bit, he then looked back up at her again and whispered, "Will you teach her?"

Nami glanced over towards Robin, but then back towards Luffy, and then she sighed as she nodded her head. Luffy nodded as well and then turned back to Robin. "Looks like you're in luck. Just follow after us."

"Not a chance. Robin can ride with you, but he will ride with me," Zoro said as he pointed towards Tony, who gulped down. "Call it insurance, but if you do anything to Robin, no backwater country in this world will hide you from me. You understand, asshole?" he said, now pointing at Luffy.

Robin brought a knuckle to her lips as she lowered her gaze towards the ground, but she said nothing about Zoro's threat.

Luffy shifted his eyes from Zoro to Robin and then back again. "We won't hurt her," he assured the green haired man.

"Good," Zoro said and motioned towards Tony. "Let's go, kid."

"R-Right," Tony muttered as he got out of the car, holding the door open for Robin before heading towards Zoro's car.

"It'll be alright, Tony," Luffy called after him, knowing he must be afraid.

Tony turned to look at him, but then he offered him a smile. "I know it will. Thanks, Luffy," he said, and then he got into Zoro's car.

Luffy's smile turned into a frown, and then he muttered, "I really hope everything will be alright…"

**To Be Continued…**

**Author's Note:** Well, there is that. Robin and Zoro have now joined the party, lol! I'm really sorry about the hiatus, but I've got some really good ideas for the _Possession_ rewrite. I just didn't like how the original came out of the darkness before I actually wanted it to. I wanted it to remain in the darkness for a really long time. xD I wanted the story to be much longer too. At any rate, I promise it'll be much better. :) Thanks for reading so far, and please stay tuned for more to come. ;)


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